


home sweet home

by orphan_account



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, Tooth Rotting Fluff, arthur doesnt know how to deal with his feelings, eames is kinda babey, i only change like. one thing, sort of??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24274732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He watched Eames walk into the kitchen and get a bottle of water. Eames met his gaze as he shut the fridge door.“What are you doing up?” he asked, words slurred by tiredness.“Can’t sleep.”
Relationships: Arthur/Eames (Inception)
Kudos: 62





	home sweet home

**Author's Note:**

> au where arthur goes home with eames after they leave the airport! eames has a house in california now. magically. because I say so

“Home sweet home.”

Eames’ voice dropped as he actually got a look at the so-called “sweet” home. Arthur was about to input that it didn’t look so sweet but by the look on Eames’ face, he assumed that he had already gathered that. Eames winced.

“Sorry,” he said, rushing ahead of him and clearing off the table in the living room. The house wasn’t a mess but it wasn’t pristine like Arthur liked it. “I wasn’t exactly expecting anyone when I last left the place.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Arthur said, sort of surprising himself, as he pulled a hand out of his pocket and waved it. “I’m only staying here for a day. I can help you clean up, if you’d like. I kind of like it."

Eames’ eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at him. “You’re cleaning my house for me now?”

Arthur scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re making me regret offering.”

Eames grinned at him and Arthur pried his eyes away. “Alright, well. You can take the bed or the couch. Up to you.”

“Which one smells less?”

“Oh, ha, ha.”

Arthur flashed him a grin this time. Eames didn’t look away.

“I’ll take the couch,” Arthur said after a moment. He chickened out again, staring down at the ground. “I don’t want to take your bed since you’re letting me stay here.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No, really. I’ll be fine out here.”

Eames wound around the table and behind the couch, drumming his hands on the back of it. “Alright. I’ll grab you a blanket.” 

When Eames had disappeared into the other room, Arthur planted himself down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. 

The job that they had done that day..it changed things. It changed how Arthur looked at him. Because as much as Arthur didn’t want to believe it, he knew it was true that he used the bickering and the teasing as a sort of mask - as a way to interact with Eames, sure, and he liked that part of their dynamic, but he also used it as a way to hide. He was afraid of the feelings that were underneath. Feelings he had scratched the surface of while he was asleep on that plane. 

With each dream layer they entered, there was less and less bickering and teasing; less arguing, less snide remarks. In the first, Arthur found himself checking up on Eames before anyone else - something that he would have thought of before it came out of his mouth. He would have generalized it, he would have said, _“is everyone alright?”_ But instead he looked Eames in the eyes and said, _“are_ you _alright?”_

And when Eames had said, _“yeah, I’m okay, I’m okay,”_ Arthur had let himself breathe a sigh of relief. 

Oh, not to mention Eames’ casual “ _we mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling,”_ that had left Arthur feeling anything but casual.

And in the second level, they hadn’t had much time to talk, but they had a conversation that had stuck with Arthur. 

_“Security’s gonna run you down hard.”_

Arthur had scolded himself for how thrilled a sentence like that made him. Eames was speaking a fact but it made Arthur wonder if he meant it as more. If he meant it as an _I’m worried about you._

_“And I will lead them on a merry chase.”_

Eames had grinned up at him, making Arthur swallow around the lump in his throat. 

_“Just be back before the kick.”_

Maybe it was a _stay safe. Please._

He realized that he really hoped it was.

But he couldn’t say that.

_“Go to sleep, Mr. Eames.”_

A pillow was dropped on his face, obscuring his vision and pulling Arthur away from his thoughts.

“Almost asleep already?” he heard Eames wonder aloud. Arthur grabbed the cushion, dragging it away from his face.

“You knew this and decided to hit me over the head with a pillow?”

“Your head _is_ supposed to hit a pillow when you sleep, isn’t it?” Arthur shoved it behind his head, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. 

“I don’t think that’s what that saying means.”

“Worth a try.”

Eames shuffled over to the side of the couch and shook out a blanket, pulling it up over Arthur’s body. Arthur grabbed the hem and pulled it up to his chin and Eames smiled at him.

“You gonna be alright out here?”

“I’m not a child.”

Eames' smile slipped. Arthur clenched his teeth. The mask hurt sometimes.

“I’ll be fine,” he added, his voice soft. Eames nodded.

“Alright. I’m in the other room if you need anything, Art.”

 _Art_. All Eames had done was take three letters from his name but on his lips, the word made Arthur feel like flowers were blooming in his chest. 

\---

_12:00 AM_

Arthur stared up at the ceiling.

_12:30 AM_

Arthur flipped onto his stomach, pressing his face into the pillow. It smelled like Eames.

_1:00 AM_

Arthur wrapped himself up in the blanket. It also smelled like Eames.

_1:30 AM_

Arthur heard footsteps coming into the living room. He watched Eames, dressed in a tank top and sweatpants (the most casual outfit Arthur had ever seen him wear), walk into the kitchen and get a bottle of water. Eames met his gaze as he shut the fridge door. 

“What are you doing up?” he asked, words slurred by tiredness. 

“Can’t sleep.” 

Eames frowned down at the water bottle in his hands. “Not comfortable enough?”

“No! No. It’s not your fault. I just don’t sleep well.” Arthur pulled the blanket around himself tighter as he sat up. “Interestingly enough, there aren’t usually good things waiting for me in my dreams."

That just seemed to make Eames’ frown deepen. Arthur worried his lip. “That’s too bad.” There was a long pause before Eames breathed in slowly and said, “do you think..being with someone else would help you fall asleep?”

Arthur blinked. “Probably.” He didn’t know how true that was - he hadn’t really tried it before. He was trying to let go of the mask.

“You can come into my room. If you’d like. I can sleep on the floor.”

“I wouldn’t want you to do that. I can just sleep in the bed next to you.” They stared at each other for what felt like ages. “If you’re alright with that, of course.” It was scary, letting go.

“Yeah, sure.” Sometimes it paid off.

And so that’s how Arthur found himself completely awake, staring at the ceiling, fully aware of the also completely awake body of Eames next to him. The silence was so uncomfortable that Arthur thought he might lose his mind but he didn’t speak up just to end it.

“I shouldn’t be so rude to you,” he said, feeling Eames’ sheets under his fingers. “You don’t deserve it.” Eames turned to look at him. “You did a lot for me- um, a lot for us today.”

“Yeah?” Eames asked after some time, grinning cheekily. “What’d I do for you?”

“Jerk.” Arthur bit back a smile.

“Kidding.” Eames turned on his side to face Arthur, propping his head up with his hand. “And it’s not just you, you know. You’re too hard on yourself.” His arm went flat on the pillow, his head resting atop it. “I realized something about you today.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re the most selfless person I know.” Arthur had never looked into another person’s eyes for so long. He didn’t want to pry his eyes away, to look down at the floor. He wanted to keep looking. “It’s kind of extraordinary. _You’re_ kind of extraordinary, you know.” Eames was silent for a moment and the silence was so comfortable. “One might even say ‘perfect’.”

Another pause as Arthur gathered his thoughts. “That’s a bold claim.”

“I’d support it.”

Arthur was so done with hiding.


End file.
